Email Author Dennis Abrams

1999 Stories by Dennis Abrams

• Out with the New

  published December 30, 1999

  Yes, Virginia, there is a New Renata's. While the "old" Renata's offered continental cuisine with an Italian accent, the "new" one offers... More >>

• Little Shiva

  published December 23, 1999

  A longtime Rice Village favorite, Shiva Indian Restaurant is named after Lord Shiva, one of the most complex of Indian gods -- "destroyer... More >>

• In the Comfort of Cheese

  published December 16, 1999

  You know those days: A dark cloud follows you around at work, pouring misery onto everything and anything you do. When you return home, all you... More >>

• Ode to a Grecian Way

  published December 9, 1999

  At one time or another, we've all been there. We've all sat forlornly at some wedding reception where the only people we knew were the ones who... More >>

• Nickel and Dining

  published December 2, 1999

  Sometimes, no matter how charmed you are by a place, a restaurant will have one waiter or one habit or one dish that's so irritating it colors an... More >>

• Cajunese Cuisine?

  published November 25, 1999

  The surprise about Super Steak & More is exactly how much "more" there is. This small charmer of a cafe, nestled next to Becks Prime and... More >>

• Tapas Italianate?

  published November 18, 1999

  If you think pasta just isn't pasta unless it's served in a bowl big enough to bathe a small child in, if a serving of beef just doesn't cut it... More >>

• Empire of the Son

  published November 11, 1999

  Given a choice between a small family-run restaurant or gravitational-pull establishment like Kim Son, I tend to float toward -- breaking... More >>

• A Bit Player

  published October 28, 1999

  Sake Lounge opened in 1997 in the clunkishly titled Bayou Place and immediately became a hip oasis in a downtown scene just beginning to... More >>

• What Tex-Mex?

  published October 21, 1999

  Any Houstonian with half a nose for the local cuisine can direct an out-of-towner to the best Mexican plate or the freshest Gulf seafood. But... More >>

• The Perils of Glitz

  published October 14, 1999

  All the air-kissing should have been a tip-off. Actually, the noise level was the first clue. Masraff's on South Post Oak Lane is a... More >>

• Tray Magnifique

  published October 14, 1999

  Sending me to review a cafeteria is a bit like sending Bill Clinton to judge the Miss America pageant. In theory, it's not such a bad idea. In... More >>

• Chicken Soup for the Cajun Soul

  published September 30, 1999

  Most people know New Orleans restaurants via the upscale culinary temples that have made Creole cuisine famous, places such as Commander's Palace,... More >>

• Pasta à la Goth

  published September 23, 1999

  Many people's image of an Italian trattoria comes directly from the Cher film Moonstruck: a small, family-run place with checkered... More >>

• Darkness Palls

  published September 16, 1999

  . Thai Café, 10928 Westheimer, (713)780-3096. More >>

• Breeze from the Northwest

  published September 9, 1999

  For months Houston foodies have been buzzing about McCormick & Schmick's. Word on the street held that it was not just a good seafood... More >>

• Urban Refuel

  published September 2, 1999

  You can have all the trendy restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and jazz joints you want. You can even convert all the old buildings within a two-mile... More >>

• Jazzed

  published August 19, 1999

  Good Cajun and creole food is about as rare in Houston as a mild day in August. So it's not surprising that when Mary Hodge and her husband,... More >>

• Brilliant Korea

  published August 19, 1999

  You hardly ever hear anyone say, "Honey, I feel like Korean food tonight!" Ask most people what they know about Korean, and you're likely to get a... More >>

• Old Style

  published August 12, 1999

  Faster than you can say "new American cuisine" or "Asian fusion," the Nuevo Latino trend is sweeping the rest of the country. Of course, this is... More >>

• It's the Little Things

  published August 12, 1999

  Antique shopping in the Houston Heights can be exhausting, and Carter & Cooley is the perfect place to stop and replenish yourself. In... More >>

• The Meat of the Matter

  published August 5, 1999

  Steak & Chophouse on the Boulevard is a steak house that tries to be a fine restaurant but fails to make it even as a halfway decent steak... More >>

• Hot Plate

  published August 5, 1999

  In a world filled with trendy chocolate mousse cakes, chocolate towers, chocolate bombes, molten chocolate tortes and God only knows what else,... More >>

• French Bliss

  published July 22, 1999

  After one week in France (and watching one too many French films), I've searched continuously for a Houston version of my ideal French bistro. It... More >>

• Flo Knows

  published July 22, 1999

  Florence "Flo" Bosley is the queen of the steam table. Most cuisines aren't tough enough to endure the rigors of the lunch buffet (although that... More >>